Sif, the Great Grey Wolf
by FromShadows8673
Summary: An undead warrior finds himself on a quest to defeat Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder. When he encounters the grey wolf, Sif, she sparks a memory from his past life. He refuses to fight her and instead looks for another way to further his quest. But he soon finds out he has no choice but to confront the wolf. Can he get the ring of Artorias without harming her? *Work in progress*


Vali was relieved to see the little bonfire crackling in the damp night air. He had stumbled, quite literally, upon it while leaning against an illusionary wall to scuff the bottom of his muddy boot. There was not much resistance between here and the previous bonfire, up in the parish above the blacksmith. Regardless, he was always happy to see another bonfire, for the comfort they brought was a welcome respite from the harsh realities of Lordran. He sat down next to the fire, feeling its gentle warmth beat against his skin like the wings of a butterfly.

He would only rest there for a while, as he always did. He found that he could not remain idle for long, lest the nagging feeling in the back of his mind became overwhelming. He felt compelled, almost forced, to seek out and kill Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder. Something to do with the undead curse, he had surmised. This compelling feeling was what had brought him to Lordran. He had awoken in a dirty cell with no memory of his past. He remembered his name and all of the basic things that made one human, but he had no other memories of his life before the curse. With help from a stranger he had escaped the cell and the prison it was in.

Vali had first arrived at Firelink Shrine, not really knowing where to go, only that he needed to move forward. He had fought his way through a town he did not know, until he found himself ringing a bell atop a tower. He had then gone down into the town's sewers and eventually to where they let out. Blighttown, as he later found out it was called, had been a nightmare to traverse, but he made it to the bottom and fought a fierce demon there. He had then found and rang another bell.

Back at Firelink Shrine he had met a serpent named Frampt, who offered him some clarification. He had explained that Vali needed to seek out a Lordvessel, then defeat four powerful enemies before finally killing Gwyn. Vali had gone forth, through the treacherous Sen's Fortress, to Anor Londo. There he had found the Lordvessel, then went on to kill off his targets one by one. He had no clear instructions where to go, yet the compelling force in the back of his mind had nudged him in the right direction each time.

Now it had brought him here, to the gardens beyond the parish. He rose from the fire at his feet and walked towards a large set of doors to his left. Betwixt the two doors, at the very centre, a glowing indentation beckoned him. He saw no keyhole in either of the doors, but was reminded of something he had purchased from the blacksmith. He took out an intricately carved crest and placed it in the slot between the doors. The light faded away underneath the crest and the doors slid open. Beyond them he saw a set of stone stairs leading down into a seemingly tranquil forest.

Vali did not walk ten paces before a flailing sword nearly took his head off. He had not seen his assailant coming until she was within sword's reach. He ducked under the blow and brought his own sword up in retaliation. Vali was dressed lightly in leather armour and chose not to wear a helmet for fear of obstructing his vision. His translucent attacker, barely visible in the shadows of the trees, was clad in full plate armour. She swung her greatsword at him in a lumbering blow and he met it with his own identical sword in a skilful parry. She clambered backwards at the blow, but Vali spun himself fluently around and used the momentum of the blow to slice the sword across her breastplate. This would set the tone for the rest of the fight. Even when she led him towards one of her comrades – a spindly mage – Vali had little trouble felling them both.

Although he could remember nothing of his past, Vali had surmised that he must have been a warrior of sorts. He had good reflexes with a sword. He had had a few close calls, but managed well enough to get where he was now. Vali skirted around the edge of the forest. He had caught glimpses of more people deeper into the trees and had no intention to fight them unless absolutely necessary. When he reached a clearing, he saw a stone structure on the other side. An axe-wielding bandit stood between them. The man was a decent fighter and his small shield denied many of Vali's blows. However, he too fell before Vali's blade.

Had it not been for the fighting, Vali might have enjoyed the forest air. There was a feeling of peacefulness in it which was almost melancholic. He stepped away from his slain foe and approached a nearby clifftop. The forest went on for some distance below. It was dark, almost menacing. The moonlight that illuminated the forest behind him so brilliantly did not carry that well into the void below. Vali sighed and turned away. He had almost begun to relax.

Vali nearly cracked his head against a wall as he entered the stone structure at the edge of the forest. A great big cat sat on a windowsill looking down at him. Her mouth stretched widely across her face, giving her a menacing look. It made it difficult to tell whether she was smiling or scowling.

"Are you new to these gardens?" her voice rang pleasantly in the cool air.

"I am. My name is Vali. I come seeking…" he trailed off. He was not sure exactly what he was looking for.

"The grave of Sir Artorias, I presume?" the cat asked. "It is what they all come to seek here. Have it known that no such thing lies in these gardens!" There was a sudden air of hostility in her voice. Vali shifted uncomfortably.

"No, my…lady. I have not heard of such a thing. I was merely compelled to come explore here."

The combination of a bellowing laugh and a cat's hissing erupted from her, piercing deep into the night.

"Explore? This is dangerous territory to simply be 'exploring'," she said matter-of-factly.

"I am not averse to danger, my lady," Vali prodded.

"My boy, I am a cat. I am older than the very trees in these gardens. Do not 'my lady' me. My name is Alvina and you may call me so."

Vali scuffed his boot against the floor. He could hear water running somewhere in the distance. He looked up at the cat, then quickly down at his feet. The faintest chuckle escaped from her mouth.

"You are not the first to be unsettled by my appearance," she said conversationally.

"Apologies, my l…Alvina," Vali quickly retorted. He looked up to meet her gaze. She sighed.

"You are a strange one," she mused. "I like you." Her mouth seemed more of a smile than a scowl now.

"You mentioned Sir Artorias," Vali tried. "I have heard his name spoken before. It seems he is somewhat of a legend."

"Ah, yes," Alvina said after a pause. "He was a great warrior. One of Gwyn's own knights. Together with his loyal companion, Sif, he bested the Abyss."

"The Abyss?" Vali was intrigued.

"The endless blackness which aims to consume all. It is the adversary of fire and corrupts all that it touches."

The rest of the conversation was more light-hearted. Vali and Alvina spoke of the gardens. She told him what they used to look like. He told her about his own adventure, which put a grave look across her face. After a while, Vali decided to be off again. Alvina seemed displeased, but did not protest when he crossed the bridge to another part of the gardens. This part looked much the same as the former. Verdant trees loomed high above. Moonlight trickled in through their branches to illuminate the ground below. There were no people here that he could see, though he remained vigilant.

Not long after entering the second wing of the garden, Vali began to notice mushrooms moving about. They were stumpy little things, about half his height. They seemed to simply be wandering around, paying him no heed. He carefully moved between them. They showed no malice and Vali soon found himself chuckling at one that tripped over its own feet. He went over to help it up, but it waddled away as soon as it was on its feet. It barely went ten paces before falling onto its face again. Vali went over to help it up again, this time holding on to the little creature. It trembled in his hands as he held it upright. Vali was surprised by the strength in the creature's hands as it tried to pry his grip off. He tried to calm the little thing down, but it seemed hopeless. Finally, he let go of the mushroom child, causing it to stumble backwards and plop down on its rear.

Vali stood upright and looked down at the creature, one hand resting against a tree. He tried to look remorseful, but it only seemed to make the mushroom more uncomfortable.

"What's up with you, little guy? I mean you no harm," he said and began to reach out a hand once more. A shadow loomed over him. The little creature's eyes went wide. Was that a smile on its face? Instinct told Vali to dodge away, which he did just in time to feel a gust of wind right behind his head. He heard a loud crack coming from the tree he had been leaning against. Vali spun around as he came out of his roll to see a much larger mushroom standing behind where he had stood. It slowly pulled its hand away from the tree, which was nearly split in half by the force of its punch.

Vali slowly rose. The large mushroom started towards him. Another crack came from the tree. It began to move where the creature had punched into it. It was falling, right where Vali was standing over the mushroom child. The larger mushroom's eyes went wide. It thrust out its arms and started towards the child, but its stumpy legs were too slow. Vali was quicker. He grabbed the little creature and rolled away from the tree's path. Even mid-tumble he felt the ground shake as the tree came crashing down. Vali leapt up as soon as they were out of harm's way. The large mushroom stood and looked at the smaller one. Vali knelt down and gently pushed the little one back onto its feet. It ran straight to the big one, nearly tripping over again. It went and stood behind the big one, like a child hiding behind their mother's skirts. Vali and them regarded each other for a moment. The mushroom parent did not move, but placed a hand on the little one's cap. Vali nodded at them and backed away.

Vali found the grave of Artorias soon after. He knew it almost instantly. The nagging sensation in his mind flared up as he crossed a small bridge and passed through a large archway. He was in a large circular clearing. At its centre stood a massive gravestone. Scattered about the whole area were hundreds of weapons embedded in the ground. Some of them seemed old and worn. Others seemed recent. They all appeared to have came from fallen warriors. Unease crept along Vali's spine. He approached the gravestone. The air seemed even more silent here than in the forest before. A massive greatsword stood embedded in the ground before the gravestone. It drew him closer, despite his growing apprehension. He stood right in front of the sword and reached a hand out to touch it. A giant wolf leapt up onto the gravestone.

Sif stood on the gravestone of her master, snarling at Vali. She was big; more than twice his height. Before he could react, she jumped down and grabbed the greatsword in her jaws. It fit neatly in her mouth. Vali was confused, then realised that she was brandishing it. She was to use it as a weapon. The wolf's yellow eyes pierced his own. She threw her head back and let out a howl that pierced the dreadful silence of the night. The sound sent Vali into his past:

 _He was hunting. They were chasing a boar he had shot. He had heard the dog howl. He pushed himself through brush into a clearing. The boar lay there, dead. The dog stood triumphantly on top of it. A wolfhound. She was his dog. Her grey fur rustled in the wind. Her yellow eyes pierced his own. He was proud._

These memories flashed before him in the time it took Sif to complete her howl. He had remembered something from his past life. He had a dog. She looked so much like Sif. Her muzzle was a tad shorter and her fur darker. She had a black spot on her front left paw. Her tail was shorter. But her their eyes looked so alike. Those eyes that were getting bigger. Sif was running towards him.

Vali broke free from his trance just in time to roll underneath the swinging greatsword. He was close to tears at the memory of his dog. He was underneath Sif. He wanted to reach up and touch her, to tell her it was okay, but she leapt up and away. She rushed at him as soon as she landed. He could see the blow coming this time. He leapt to the side. The wolf's eyes followed him all the way. He could not fight her. He knew that. She spun around and swung at him again. He rolled underneath the blow and was under her again. She leapt up and her paw grazed his back, knocking him down. She came running in once more as he stood up. He quested with one hand for his pack at his side. She swung again and he leapt to the side again. He found a brittle piece of bone in his pack. For a second, he thought of throwing the bone for the wolf. As if that would work. He crushed the bone in his hand as Sif turned around. He was gone before she was halfway to him.

Vali was back at the bonfire. He immediately felt that compulsion creeping up his neck. He knew he could not fight her, though. She was too much like his own dog. He held on to those fading memories with all he had. Before he knew it, he found himself walking back into the garden. He went straight to Alvina and told her what had happened. She was cross with him, but admitted that he had indeed found the grave of Artorias. He told her of his encounter with Sif and the memories it sparked. She looked empathetically at him. Then she asked him to join her covenant.

"As a Forest Hunter, you would protect the grave of Artorias. And Sif," she said.

She told him of the other members, some of whom he had slain the first time he came to the gardens. She told him how she had been keeping watch over the grave for many years. They talked for a long time before he finally conceded.

"I will do it," he said. "I will be here and help when I can. But I must find a way to further my quest. To rid myself of this oppressive obsession with killing Gwyn. So that I may attempt to live in peace once more."


End file.
